The Stone
by Pidgeot18
Summary: This story is an action where Tom and Jeffery are on their way to find a set of 25 stones. The PG rating comes in the latter part of the story, which I'm not going to spoil.


Author's Notes: OK. I based this off of PinguMew98's Ketchum Stone story. Read it to find out what the Ketchum Stone is. This is a pokemon story, so don't fret. I own Tom, Julia, Michael, Elizabeth, Tom Jr, Epeona, and Jeffery (jointly owned with PinguMew98).  
  
"What are you doing, Tom?" Julia asked.  
"Looking for something Mike might want," Tom replied. He was digging through his chest of drawers. He pulled out a small, brown object.  
"What's that?" Julia asked.  
"It's a mystical stone, the Quantam Stone. According to legend, there are 25 more of these, in five colors," Tom replied. "Red, blue, green, white, yellow." It seemed that Tom had answered a question that would be asked.  
"What's so special about that?" Julia asked her third question.  
"Twenty questions, by the way," Tom said, smiling. "It's sort of like the Ketchum Stone." He paused looking at Julia's face. "It can move you past, present, or future. Except that this one only moves you to specific places, and specific times."  
"So, how does it work?" The fourth question was asked. Tom had moved around to his favorite chair, already reclined. He sat in it, and looked over to where Julia sat.  
"Well, it's quite simple, really. Just like what I do," Tom said. He closed his eyes, and let all his thoughts go away. The stone turned into a clear, blue whirlpool. He held it in his hands until...  
"DAAAAAADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Michael yelled. Tom returned to reality, dropping the stone. As it fell, the whirlpool turned into an arrow pointing towards The Marshes. Tom picked it up, and turned it. The arrow held its bearing.  
"So that's it?" Julia asked. "Coming, sweetie."  
"No, something must have happened," Tom said. "I don't understand it. It's completely - wait! I know. Coming Michael Jonathon Larendo Satoshi Ketchum!" Tom yelled. He ran to the kitchen, where Michael was. It turned out the heater had broken.  
"Michael, Michael, Michael. When will you learn? The instructions for fixing everything are listed there," Tom said calmly, pointing at a giant book. "Well, except if the computer shuts down. Then you yell for me." Julia chuckled at the last remark.  
"I'll get supper ready," Julia said. Michael ran upstairs to play on his computer. "Are you going to show Michael the you-know-what?"  
"Question six," Tom said. "And not in front of Tom Junior or Elizabeth, either. You never know when they could be listening. Besides, this riddle is almost solved. But why the marshes..." Tom trailed off, heading for the bike. He went outside and silently went through the failing light.  
"Where's Daddy?" Elizabeth asked as she walked in the door.  
"Knowing him, he'll be back in a day or two," Julia answered.  
"Why?" Elizabeth asked.  
"To be honest, I don't know," Julia answered. BLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!  
"Are you lying?" Elizabeth stared at her mother  
"No, its the oven," Julia said with honesty. The computer then glowed and presented an Instant Message.  
MewAttack33: whos this  
Pidgeot18: Elizabeth Ketchum.  
MewAttack33: wheres tom  
Pidgeot18: ...  
MewAttack33: ??????????????  
MewAttack33: elizabeth  
Pidgeot18: Why are you not writing properly?  
MewAttack33: this is im  
MewAttack33: no punctuation  
MewAttack33: jst shrthnd  
MewAttack33: y rnt u doing it  
Pidgeot18: It's not proper.  
MewAttack33: oh shut up  
Pidgeot18: Look who's talking.  
MewAttack33 signed off and kicked Pidgeot18 off.  
"Elizabeth Epeona Coralberry Ketchum!" Julia screamed. "Don't use Tom's screen name. Get your own." Elizabeth walked off and scowled. Julia sat down.  
MankeyShrew: hey, jeff  
MewAttack44: is this julia  
MankeyShrew: yes  
MewAttack44: hold on  
RattataShrine: hello  
PidgeyAttack: hi mankeyshrew  
MewAttack44 signed off.  
MewAttack33 signed on.  
MewAttack33: wrud  
MankeyShrew: cooking sup  
MankeyShrew: tom left  
PidgeotKing signed on.  
MewAttack33: huh??????????  
PidgeotKing: stpd elzbth  
RattataShrine: what  
PidgeyAttack: who  
RattataShrine: the  
PidgeyAttack: the  
RattataShrine: hell  
PidgeyAttack: heck  
RattataShrine: r u doing here  
PidgeyAttack: r u  
PidgeotKing renamed himself Pidgeot18.  
Pidgeot18: now do u knw me  
RattataShrine: g2g  
PidgeyAttack: same here  
RattataShrine signed off.  
PidgeyAttack signed off.  
Pidgeot18 signed off.  
MankeyShrew signed off.  
MewAttack33 signed off.  
Julia sighed. She didn't have time to call Tom back. He was probably at The Marshes by now. Knock-knock. "Who's there?" She asked  
"Thomas Joshua Lungor Michael Satoshi Ketchum. Not to mention I have a nice solid royal blue perfect spherical stone."  
"How did you get back so fast? Not to mention that trick." Julia opened the door.  
"Oh, it's nothing. You just have to modify the programming..." Tom answered.  
"I get the point. What did you find out?"  
"The blue one has a poem in it. Hold on," Tom instructed. He went to the computer, which was off. He pulled out an Item Transfer Module, placing the stone inside, then pushing the send button. The computer, though not on, displayed a poem. Tom took his laptop and typed.  
  
This stone has a key  
And lucky to find it.  
Many search only to flee,  
Brown doth do sit  
On a cave in the midst.  
Go north until you reach the Big,  
And up the salty blue through green,  
Head west at the fall to the Pig.  
Woe to those who pass the screen,  
And have a weary Alfer-Spleen.  
  
"Supper! Come an down Elizabeth," Julia yelled. She walked over to Tom, who put his materials away. "You deciphered the poem?"  
"No time for that. Thinkers can't think on an empty stomach!" Tom said. Julia chuckled. They ate dinner. Every time Julia thought of something to say, Tom gave his glare.  
Pidgeot18: mewattack  
MankeyShrew: jeffery?  
ElizaKetch: Don't do that.  
PkmnRule: oh boil ur head  
BigFatPika: who r u, elizaketch  
MewAttack33: i think i know  
Pidgeot18: stop harrasing people, elizabeth katashori landrena satioshine ketchum  
ElizaKetch: That's not my name, Tom.  
Pidgeot18: lets see  
BigFatPika: is it eliza?  
PkmnRule: i think  
MankeyShrew: wrud, elizaketch  
MewAttack33: nm  
ElizaKetch: WRUD?????????? What in Vulpix's name does that mean?  
Pidgeot18: oh stop faking  
ElizaKetch is Elizabeth Ketchum's name and is working at a community table computer.  
MewAttack33: i knew when u said vulpix's name  
MankeyShrew: :)  
BigFatPika, PkmnRule, Pidgeot18, and MewAttack33 simutaneously say "lol"  
MankeyShrew: :|----------------------------------)  
ElizaKetch: ??????  
Pidgeot18 entered side chat.  
MankeyShrew entered side chat.  
MewAttack33 entered side chat.  
BigFatPika signed off.  
PkmnRule signed off.  
ElizaKetch signed off.  
Dinner continued in silence. Tom and Julia occasionally looked at their computers to talk for input. The kids left and cleaned up. They went to bed silently, knowing that Tom and Julia were doing something important. It was Tom who broke the silence.  
"OK. I have the first set of rhyming lines down. Go north until you reach the big? What does that mean?" He said.  
"North. It must be somewhere north of where you found it." Julia suggested.  
"The big," Jeffery's voice came up through the computer. "That's a clue. What is big enough?"  
"Big's capitalized. Note that. The next lines help. Up the salty blue through green. That's an easy one. Imagine from the air." Tom pitched in.  
"Green's the forest. So an island with a forest is what we have." Julia added.  
"Two things. One, we assume its an island. Capitalization can change a lot of things. Two, if it is an island, almost all have woods." Jeffery threw out.  
"Not quite. Salty blue, that's a help. Blue is water or air. Air is ruled out, it's not salty. So it's water." Tom started.  
"And it can't be the ocean, so it's a river. And the only salty river is on Pokemon Island." Julia finished.  
"To a person who's going up the river, the first fall is where we turn." Jeffery swiftly added.  
"West to this Pig, with a capital 'P,' mind you." Tom continued.  
"What's the next few lines?" Julia asked.  
"Twelve questions, I believe. Anyways, it's 'Woe to those who pass through the screen, And have a weary Alfer-Spleen.' That's it." Tom answered.  
"What's this question thing thing going on?" Jeffery's voice riddled the air.  
"Oh, it's something Tom came up with. He does that when he's bored. Anyways, what's an 'Alfer-Spleen'?" she said.  
"Alferspleen is an orangish-red color. Sort of like what you see in a fire between the orange and the red. Alfer is a brown color, really. That means that because this is used in the form of a noun, it comes out a 'Brown Spleen.' Hmmm." Tom answered.  
"You know, it is getting late. I have to go." Jeffery's voice hummed a last time.  
"Same here. I have everything stored in fifteen places," Tom replied.  
"Bye, Jeffery," Julia said. The three left, turning their community computers off, and going to bed. Thoughts plagued them throughout the remaining of the day, not wearing off in the morning. When the kids were off to school next morning, Tom, Julia, and Jeffery went back to work, being joined by Epeona Coralberry.  
"How are you doing?" Epeona asked.  
"Deciphering a very hard puzzle," Tom answered.  
"Mind if I join you?" She asked again.  
"Fine with me. I've just got to figure out where this pig is."  
"Pig? What pig?"  
"The one in the poem."  
"What poem. Oh! Sorry, got to go. See you later!" Epeona left at that. The day continued much the same way, only after two did Tom decipher it.  
"Brilliant. Whoever wrote this was a genius. We lacked the knowledge of the distance between the falls and Goldenrod to know that a giant pig-shaped carving in the earth was there. It took only 1,753 pictures and 132 searches to solve the confounded puzzle. Good ridance! I'll take off first thing, well first thing after the kids leave, to find the answer!" Tom exclaimed, noting the details of their research. Supper went silently, and breakfast did too. After Elizabeth fumed away to the bus about not being let on the secret, Tom left. He soon was caught up by Jeffery.  
"West at the falls, then we hike for 7 miles. There are 3 caves in the pig and 7 within the vincinity. I hope we find what we need," Tom stated their objective, though it was not required. They left for Pokemon Island on Tom's boat. They followed the clues until they reached the statue.  
"So, which do we take?" Jeffery asked. Tom didn't reply. He took his laptop out and began searching. He soon walked up to the middle cave and Jeffery followed. They felt a misty feeling through the entrance of the cave. "I don't like this one bit, Tom. We've been walking for-" Jeffery consulted his watch, "7 minutes!?!"  
"The fourth dimension is out of whack here. It could suddenly be tommorow or yesterday," Tom said. His watch spun the next day then back to 'today' as he spoke. "I just solved the puzzle! If you want time to stop, and it just did." Tom's watch stopped moving and the cave stood awfully silent. They walked down, finding a dog in mid-air. "Time start." The dog finished leaping. Tom touched it, and Jeffery had his hand on Tom's shoulder. They were rushed, everything a blur. Nothing moved, everything stayed as still as could be. Except for them.  
For what seemed like an eternity, they held on. They rushed on the water like it was ice. The held on the dog, and couldn't let go. The dog ran overseas until he reached a small island. Then the waves crashed onto the water as time started again. They entered the cave, and found another royal blue perfect-sphere stone. Tom was ready. He typed the poem and read it.  
"Here's what I have:  
  
Oh finally you've found me!  
That Brown Spleen must've been useful,  
He'll tell you that it is a 'he,'  
So try not to be boast-ful,  
Or even a tad bit 'yelp-ful.'  
My next hint is to find a red,  
Just don't go and ail,  
For he will go to bed.  
North meets East and has an ale,  
Find your self midst the hail.  
  
"Not much to go by. What do you think?" Tom asked. The Instant Message terminal on his computer glowed blue.  
  
Pidgeot18: julia  
MewAttack33: tom  
MewAttack33: cut the recieving connection  
MankeyShrew: what tom  
Pidgeot18: ...  
Pidgeot18: :)r-089894o7043y==-a07578l=-9,l90079_89*9w75^%/&&*(p8788o886&^%e((*&m  
MankeyShrew: ...  
Pidgeot18 lent discoder to MankeyShrew.  
MankeyShrew: :)y-089894o7043u==-_075781=-9f,190079o89*9u75^%n&&*(d8788_886&^%i((*&t  
MewAttack33: whats the deal  
Pidgeot18 got back discoder and lent it to MewAttack33.  
Pidgeot18 got back discoder.  
MewAttack33: oh  
Pidgeot18 privatized, kicking ElizaKetch off.  
Pidgeot18: just in case  
MankeyShrew: ...  
Pidgeot18 signed off.  
MewAttack33 signed off.  
Pidgeot18 saved room.  
MankeyShrew signed off.  
  
Tom left, worrying about Elizabeth. If she spilled the beans, oh if she, he thought. It's right there in plain sight. If only... They left the island and returned home. Elizabeth wouldn't understand. Tom wrote the message in the code which enabled commands to the computer network. Tom went back and slept peacefully, not knowing what tomorrow would bring.  
Julia woke up, finding a white void outside. The smell of blueberry pancakes was running through the house. She went downstairs and found Tom cracking two eggs into a pot. "Sunny-side up?" She asked.  
"Usual. Want some bacon?" Tom asked, cooking. Elizabeth, Tom Jr, and Michael walked in, Elizabeth running to the pancakes. She ran into the open oven door, and fell back onto the carpet. "Serves you right," Tom said. Elizabeth cursed, and Tom heard her. "No cussing. No blueberry pancake syruped extreme for you," he said.  
They sat down and ate breakfast. Tom walked to the garage door. The kids didn't budge. "For school closures," the radio said, "all schools are opens. However, all students in elementary must be driven by cars." Then the kids relunctantly followed. Tom drove the kids to school.  
On the way back, Tom talked to the usual discovering team.  
MewAttack33: hello  
Pidgeot18: epeonas here  
SnowBlade: hi  
MankeyShrew: wrud  
MankeyShrew: what's the poem  
Pidgeot18: the first 2 r not import  
MewAttack33: the third is something about an it is a he  
Pidgeot18: He'll tell you that it is a 'he,'  
SnowBlade: he????  
MankeyShrew: a brown spleen  
Pidgeot18: were looking for a live object  
SnowBlade: where now  
Pidgeot18: dont be boastful or yelpful  
MankeyShrew: ??????????????  
SnowBlade: ????  
??????: ???????  
Pidgeot18 privatized.  
?????? is ^*()**&%$%^#$%&&^.  
^*()**&%$%^#$%&&^ is DSHJKCIEKMEDORKF.  
DSHJKCIEKMEDORKF is sister to ElizaKetch.  
ElizaKetch is kicked off.  
Pidgeot18: :):(;):|--)jkld:):(;):|--)  
MankeyShrew: what  
Pidgeot18: never mind  
MewAttack33: just don't go and ail  
Pidgeot18: Oh finally you've found me!  
That Brown Spleen must've been useful,  
He'll tell you that it is a 'he,'  
So try not to be boast-ful,  
Or even a tad bit 'yelp-ful.'  
My next hint is to find a red,  
Just don't go and ail,  
For he will go to bed.  
North meets East and has an ale,  
Find your self midst the hail.  
MankeyShrew: ale?  
SnowBlade: what hail?  
Pidgeot18: g2g  
Pidgeot18, MewAttack33, SnowBlade, and MankeyShrew signed off.  
It was lunchtime. 


End file.
